Committee for monitoring migration policy agreed -
The Greek Parliament has unanimously accepted Mr Papandreou's
proposal to create an inter-party Committee responsible for monitoring
the policy on migration as well as for seeking pragmatic solutions
to the problems of migrants residing in Greece. The Committee
will include 15 members from different parties, as well as some
EMPs. (Ethnos, 10 January)

Death in custody following eviction - A 44-year-old
Iraqi migrant, living in Greece legally, died of a heart attack
on Wednesday (11/01) morning in central Athens while in police
custody after he and 12 other immigrants were forced to leave
an old house in which they had been squatting. (Kathimerini,
12 January)

Woman arrested after criticising police violence against
Sudanese - "Eleftherotypia" relates the amazing
story of a woman who was forced to spend New Year's in prison
when she "dared" complain for the violent behaviour
of two police officers towards a Sudanese in central Athens.
The woman reacted when she saw the two police officers brutally
beating the 30-year-old Sudanese, even though the latter was
on his knees and handcuffed. Following the incident, one of the
police officers asked Ms Nikitopoulou to follow him to the police
station without any proper explanation as to the reason of her
arrest. After two days in detention she was finally released.
Among other things, Ms Nikitopoulou announced the fact that while
at the police station she saw two minors from Somalia being held
along with adults in a very tiny room. (Eleftherotypia,
14 January)

Asylum recognition rate at under 1% -According to statistical
data released by UNHCR (source: Ministry of Public Order), refugee
recognition rate for the first ten months of 2005 stands at less
than 1 per cent! Only 23 persons were granted refugee status
during that period, following more or less the same dramatic
trend of previous years: 11 persons were given asylum in 2004
and only 3 in 2003. (Rizospastis, 14 January)

March to protest stabbing of Albanian -Migrants marched
from Omonia Square to Parliament in central Athens on January
15 to protest the treatment of immigrants in Greece and the fatal
stabbing of a 17-year-old Albanian national, allegedly by a group
of Greeks, in Crete on New Year's Day. Similar protests, organized
by a number of migrant communities and left-wing groups, took
place in the Cretan town of Rethymnon, on the Ionian island of
Zakynthos, in the Peloponnesian city of Tripolis and in Thessaloniki.
The rally in Thessaloniki was a sit-in protest during which candles
were lit in memory of the Albanian teenager. (Kathimerini,
16 January)

Detained Asians transferred as precaution against avian
flu - 400 undocumented migrants from various Asian countries
were recently transferred from the detention centre of Vryssika
in Evros to the centre of Venna in Rodopi, as a precautionary
measure against the avian flu. Vryssika centre will be hosting
new arrivals that reach Greece through Turkey, including a group
of 80 undocumented migrants that were found hidden in a truck
near Evros last week. At the same time, border controls to deter
illegal entries are being reinforced. (Ethnos, 17 January
/ Kathimerini, 14 January)

Ombudsman concerned that regularisation will only affect
a small fraction of migrants -In a document addressed to
the Ministries of Interior and Public Order, the Greek Ombudsman
highlights his concerns with regard to the government's legalization
process of migrants in Greece. Taking into account the high cost,
as well as the existing institutional framework, the Ombudsman
estimates that only a tiny fraction (50,000) of the migrants
residing illegally in the country will eventually be legalized.
(Kerdos, Avgi, 21 January)

Dinghy deaths in the Aegean -Three people froze to
death in two dinghies found drifting off the island of Evia,
central Greece, last Saturday (21/01), carrying 57 undocumented
immigrants from Turkey. Authorities said the three migrants probably
died because of the freezing wind blowing across the Aegean Sea
but added that autopsies will be conducted. 41 of the immigrants
were from Pakistan and 12 from Bangladesh, while the remaining
four people were from Albania. The ministry said the immigrants
were undergoing medical examinations for signs of bird flu but
initial tests show no cause for concern. Two of the immigrants
were hospitalized with hypothermia. Authorities are questioning
the four Albanian nationals, whom they suspect of leading the
people-smuggling operation. (Kathimerini, 23 January)

Afghan refugees living in dismal conditions - 450 refugees,
mainly from Afghanistan, live under appalling conditions in an
improvised camp in the region Agia of Patras. They are squeezed
in tiny huts and face serious problems of hygiene and lack of
medical treatment. Some of these people report that when they
get sick the hospital refuses to accept them. Those appalling
conditions are also confirmed by the Health Department of the
Achaia Prefecture, following an inspection they carried out on
17/1/2006. They say, however, that the issue can only be addressed
by the Greek Government and the regional authorities, through
the establishment of a proper reception centre to host those
people. (Rizospastis, 8 February)

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